United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Pakistan to ratify optional Protocol

Pakistan will ratify the optional protocol to the convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, official sources told Business Recorder.
Pakistan had ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1990 and is under obligation to implement its provisions by harmonising national policies, legislation's, programmes and plans of action with the Convention and report progress to the UN committee on the rights of the child in Geneva every five years.
The optional protocol to the convention on the rights of the child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography was adopted at the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations held on 25th May, 2000. The cabinet approved signing of the optional protocol in its meeting held on 22nd May, 2001 and subsequently the protocol was signed by the Government of Pakistan (GoP).
The UN committee on the rights of the child, while considering Pakistan's 3rd and 4th periodic report in September, 2009 urged the GoP to consider ratification of the optional protocol. The protocol has been ratified by 138 countries including SAARC countries.
Besides the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) has also urged the member states to ratify the protocol. After ratification of the optional protocol, the state party is obliged to undertake legislative, policy, administrative and programmatic measures for its implementation and submit a report to the UN within two years and thereafter, every five years.
Necessary consultation has been made with the relevant Federal Ministries including Ministry of Foreign Affairs and provincial governments. All have supported its ratification. The legal review of the protocol has also been conducted, which reveals that the present laws address the sale of children and child prostitution except child pornography.
Social Welfare and Special Education Ministry has drafted the Criminal Law Amendment Bill, 2009 which penalises child pornography by insertion of new Sections 292-B and 292-C in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The Bill has been sent to the Interior Division for further processing as advised by the Law Division.
According to sources, ratification of the optional protocol would enable the GoP to fulfil its national and international obligations regarding child rights. It would also facilitate implementation of recommendations of the international and regional forums and improve image of the country with regards to protection of the child from sale, prostitution and pornography.